Connected Speech – Practice

exercises
In the sentences below indicate r-linking:

1. My mother and father arrived in their old car about noon.

2. There’s a nice bar in our area not far away from here.

3. As far as Peter and Victor are concerned, they are at our aunt’s.
1. My mother‿and father‿arrived in their‿old
car‿about noon.

2. There’s a nice bar‿in our‿area not far‿away from here.

3. As far‿as Peter‿and Victor‿are concerned, they are‿at

our‿aunt’s.
Now, indicate other linkings in these sentences

1. My mother‿and father‿arrived in their‿old

car‿about noon.

2. There’s a nice bar‿in our‿area not far‿away

from here.

3. As far‿as Peter‿and Victor‿are concerned,

they are‿at our‿aunt’s.
1. My mother‿and father‿arrived‿in their‿old car‿about noon.
cv

2. There’s‿a nice bar‿in ‿our‿area not far‿away from here.

cv cv

3. As far‿as Peter‿and Victor‿are concerned,

they‿are‿at‿our‿aunt’s.
j-link cv
Indicate where r-intrusive occurs

1. Billy and Martha again visited China and Japan.

2. We drew a picture and saw it was very odd.
3. Canada and Cuba are American countries.
r-intrusive

1. Billy and Martha‿again visited China‿and Japan.

r-intr r-intr

2. We drew a picture and saw‿it was very odd.

r-intr

3. Canada‿and Cuba‿are American countries.

r-intr r-intr
Indicate other linkings (apart from being indicated here r-intrusive):

1. Billy and Martha‿again visited China‿and Japan.

r-intr r-intr

2. We drew a picture and saw‿it was very odd.

r-intr

3. Canada‿and Cuba‿are American countries.

r-intr r-intr
Indicate other linkings (apart from r-intrusive):

1. Billy‿and Martha‿again visited China‿and Japan.

j-link r-intr r-intr

2. We drew‿a picture‿and saw‿it was very‿odd.

w-link r-link r-intr j-link

3. Canada‿and Cuba‿are‿American countries.

r-intr r-intr r-link
Which laterals in these words are syllabic?

double, milk, letter, syllable, rolls, muscle,

bottle, soldier, milk
Which laterals in these words are syllabic?

double, milk, letter, syllable, rolls, muscle,

bottle, soldier

syllabic /l/:
double, syllable, muscle, bottle
Which laterals in these words are velarized?

double, milk, letter, syllable, rolls, muscle,

bottle, soldier, clear
Velarized /l/:

double /ʹdʌbɫ/
milk /mɪɫk/
letter /ʹletə/
syllable /ʹsɪləbɫ/
rolls /rəʊɫz/
muscle /ʹmʌsɫ/
bottle /ʹbɒtɫ/
soldier /ʹsəʊɫʤə/
milk /mɪɫk/
clear /klɪə/
Which nasals are syllabic in these words?

mother
sandwich
bacon
tone
uncle
reason
nation
Syllabic nasals:

mother /ʹmʌðə/
sandwich /ʹsændwɪʤ/
bacon /ʹbeɪkn/
'
tone /təʊn/
uncle /ʹʌŋkl/ /l/ is syllabic here /ʹʌŋkl/
'
reason /ʹri:zn/
'
nation /ʹneɪʃn/
'
Indicate aspirated plosives in the words below:

time
speaker
clarify
computer
culture
compare
Poland
together
Indicate aspirated plosives in the words below:

time /'tʰaɪm/
speaker /'spikə/ (if /s/ precedes, it cancels aspiration)
clarify /'klærɪfaɪ/
computer /kəm 'pjutə/ (also syllabicity applies /km 'pjutə/) (see elision)
'
culture /'kʰʌɫʧə/
compare /kəm 'pʰeə/ (also syllabicity applies /km 'pʰeə/) (see elision)
'
Poland /'pʰəʊlənd/ (/'pʰəʊlnd/)
'
together /tə 'geðə/
Formulate the rule responsible for the variant pronunciation:

hit you /hɪt jʊ/ [hɪʧ(j)ʊ]

told you /təʊld jʊ/ [təʊɫʤ(j)ʊ] (also velarization of /l/)

right unit /raɪt ́ju:nɪt / [raɪʧ (́ j)u:nɪt]

these yours /ði:z jɔ:z] [ði:ʒ jɔ:z]

Formulate the rule responsible for the variant pronunciation:

softly /ʹsɒftli / [ʹsɒfli]

postpone /pǝʊstʹpǝʊn/ [pǝʊsʹpǝʊn]
last chance /last ʧa:ns/ [las ʧa:ns] (also epenthesis of /t/)
construct /kǝnʹstrʌkt/ [knʹstrʌkt] (also /n/ becomes syllabic after elision of /ǝ/)
standpoint /ʹstændpɔɪnt/ [ʹstænpɔɪnt]
second time /ʹsekǝnd taɪm/ [ʹseknd taɪm] (also aspiration of /t/ and /n/
becomes syllabic after elision of /ǝ/)
Formulate the rule responsible for the variant pronunciation:

tomato /tǝʹma:tǝʊ/ [tʹma:tǝʊ] (also /m/ becomes syllabic)

police /pǝʹli:s / [pʹli:s] (also /l/ becomes syllabic)
correct /kǝʹrekt/ [kʹrekt] (also /r/ becomes syllabic)
perhaps /pǝʹhæps/ [pʹhæps]
contain /kǝnʹteɪn/ [knʹteɪn] (also /n/ becomes syllabic)
mistery /ʹmɪstǝri/ [ʹmɪstri] (also /r/ becomes syllabic)
phonetics /fǝʹnetɪks/ [fʹnetɪks] (also /n/ becomes syllabic)
Formulate the rule responsible for the variant pronunciation:

one moment /wʌn ʹmǝʊmǝnt/ [wʌm ʹmǝʊmǝnt]

inconvenient /ɪnkǝnʹvi:niǝnt/ [ɪŋkǝnʹvi:niǝnt]
that pen /ðæt pen/ [ðæp pen]
shortcoming /ʹʃɔ:tˏkʌmɪŋ/ [ʹʃɔ:kˏkʌmɪŋ]
admire /ǝdʹmaɪǝ/ [ǝbʹmaɪǝ]
football /ʹfʊtbɔ:l/ [ʹfʊpbɔ:l]
good morning /gʊd ʹmɔ:nɪŋ/ [gʊb ʹmɔ:nɪŋ]
that cup /ðæt kʌp/ [ðæk kʌp]
clean that /kli:n ðæt/ [kli:n ðæt]
̪

Any other rules?

Formulate the rule responsible for the variant pronunciation:

importance /ɪmʹpɔ:təns/ [ɪmʹpɔ:tənts]

youngster /ʹjʌŋstə/ [ʹjʌŋkstə]
once /wʌns/ [wʌnts]
something /ʹsʌmθɪŋ/ [ʹsʌmpθɪŋ]
Transcribe the sentences using the correct weak/strong
form and show the following processes where
appropriate:

* linkings (CV link, r-link, r-intrusive, j/w-link)

* aspiration
* velarization
* assimilation in place (including palatalization)
* assimilation in manner
* elision
* syllabicity
* epenthesis
SENTENCE 1

What the urban population could use is

better trains

//wɒt ði ʹɜ:bən pɒpjəʹleɪʃən kəd ju:z ɪz ʹbetə

treɪnz//
Linkings:

[wɒt ði ʹɜ:bən pɒpjəʹleɪʃən kəd ju:z ɪz ʹbetə

‿ ‿
j cv
treɪnz]
Aspiration – no aspiration

[wɒt ði ʹɜ:bən pɒpjəʹleɪʃən kəd ju:z ɪz ʹbetə

‿ ‿
j cv
treɪnz]
Assimilation in place 1 (including
palatalization)

[wɒt ði ʹɜ:bən pɒpjəʹleɪʃən kəd ju:z ɪz

̪ ‿ m ŋ ʤ ‿
j cv
ʹbetə treɪnz]
Assimilation in place 2

[wɒt ði ʹɜ:bəm pɒpjəʹleɪʃəŋ kəʤ ju:z ɪz

̪ ‿ ‿
j cv
ʹbetə treɪnz]
Elision 1

[wɒt ði ʹɜ:bəm pɒpjəʹleɪʃəŋ kəʤ ju:z ɪz

̪ ‿ ‿
j cv
ʹbetə treɪnz]
Elision 2

[wɒt ði ʹɜ:bm pɒpjəʹleɪʃŋ kəʤ ju:z ɪz

̪ ‿ ‿
j cv
ʹbetə treɪnz]
Syllabicity

[wɒt ði ʹɜ:bm pɒpjəʹleɪʃŋ kəʤ ju:z ɪz

̪ ‿ ˌ ˌ ‿
j cv
ʹbetə treɪnz]
How about velarization, assimilation in
manner or epenthesis in this sentence?

[wɒt ði ʹɜ:bm pɒpjəʹleɪʃŋ kəʤ ju:z ɪz

̪ ‿ ˌ ˌ ‿
j cv
ʹbetə treɪnz]
No velarization, assimilation in manner or
epenthesis in this sentence.
Final version:

[wɒt ði ʹɜ:bm pɒpjəʹleɪʃŋ kəʤ ju:z ɪz

̪ ‿ ˌ ˌ ‿
j cv
ʹbetə treɪnz]
SENTENCE 2

She acts particularly well in the first scene.

SENTENCE 3

One cause of asthma is supposed to be

allergies.
Task: Divide the following sentences up to into feet. If a sentence starts
with an unstressed syllable, leave it out of consideration – it doesn’t
belong in a foot.

1. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

2. Over a quarter of a century has elapsed since his death.
3. Computers consume a considerable amount of money and time.
4. Most of them have arrived on the bus.
5. Newspaper editors are invariably underworked.
Answer key:

1. A /bird in the /hand is worth /two in the /bush/

2. /Over a /quarter of a /century has e/lapsed since his /death/

3. Com/puters con/sume a con/siderable a/mount of /money

and /time/

4. /Most of them have a/rrived on the /bus/

5. /Newspaper /editors are in/variably /under/worked/

Extra sentences:
1. Each person in the group was trained in survival.
2. About three hundred soldiers were lined up.
3. Buying a new computer is a major expense.
4. All the people who came to the wedding were from England.
References:

1. Roach, Peter. 2009. English Phonetics and Phonology.

2. Cruttenden, Alan. 2014. Gimson’s pronunciation of English.
3. Szpyra-Kozłowska, J. & W. Sobkowiak. 2002. Workbook in English phonetics.
4. Wells, J.C. 2008. Pronunciation Dictionary.